“Design is intelligence made visible.”
-Alina Wheeler
It is common knowledge that the world in which we live today is fast-paced, technology-centered, and highly competitive. To survive in this environment, companies relentlessly employ strategies to nurture their businesses and outshine their opponents. However, what is very crucial while doing so is to make use of approaches that will guarantee fruitful results. One such area to consider in any business’ pursuit of success is design agencies. Design agencies assist companies to keep up with the dynamic market environment. They provide help to companies in delivering their message to the audience in an effective manner by rejuvenating their brands, providing animation services, etc.; leaving an indelible mark on their consumers. This enables the company to surpass its opponents.
This blog primarily focuses on examining how a design agency’s work fosters business growth, emphasizing the significance of creative design and how it aids a firm to be the best in the game. Listed below are some relevant case studies:
Case Study 1: Slack – A Design-First Approach
Leading team communication and collaboration tool Slack has consistently put design first. The business realized that market success required an easy-to-use, intuitive interface. In order to do this, Slack worked with the design firm Metalab to develop its visual brand identity and user interface.
Metalab concentrated on creating a simple yet effective design with strong functionality. The design system produced by the agency placed a focus on smooth navigation, tailor-made color palettes, and instantly recognizable iconography. This design-first approach enabled Slack to stand out in a market dominated by conventional enterprise communication tools.
Slack’s dedication to design quality led to quick growth; in only three years, the firm had 4 million daily active users. The work of the design firm was crucial to Slack’s success, showcasing the strength of design in driving business growth.
Case Study 2: Nike – Design-Driven Innovation
Nike, a world-dominant athletic company, has always been the vanguard of design-driven innovation. The business has been successful in employing its own internal design team as well as external design firms to create revolutionary advertising campaigns. The best example is the enduring “Just Do It” campaign developed by Nike in collaboration with a design agency known as Wieden+Kennedy.
Since its inception in 1988, the campaign has become tantamount to Nike, contributing considerably to its success and growth. With Wieden+Kennedy’s exceptional marketing and design skills, Nike was able to build an emotional connection with its customers, enabling it to become a global powerhouse.
Case Study 3: Mailchimp – A User-Centric Design Philosophy
Mailchimp, also known as Intuit Mailchimp, is a widely used email marketing service, which has always placed great emphasis on user-centric design. Mailchimp recruited the help of design agency Collins in an attempt to make its user experience seamless and more intuitive. The main objective of the firm was to produce a design that complemented Mailchimp’s core principles and appealed to its varied user base.
Collins took a simple path and created a design system that comprised eye-catching colors, and playful graphics, led by simple navigation, which help users easily navigate through the platform without any difficulty. One of the main focuses of the design agency’s goals was to work on the leading email marketing platform’s visual identity, developing a unified brand image that could appeal to its diverse target audience.
Due in part to this user-centered design strategy, Mailchimp saw significant growth in its user population – from 2 million users in 2011 to more than 14 million users by 2021. Mailchimp rose to the top of the email marketing sector by putting design first and distinguished itself in an already cut-throat market.
Case Study 4: AirBnB – Recognizing the Power of Design
An excellent illustration of how a design agency can revolutionize a business is Airbnb, a globally known and used platform for booking/renting homes. Airbnb teamed up with DesignStudio, (an already dominant and famous design firm) to revamp itself and create a new innovative visual identity. The strategy employed by the agency focused on smoothening user experience while also instilling a sense of community and trust in them.
The Belo symbol, also called “the universal symbol of belongingness”, a logo that we are all familiar with, was created by DesignStudio to represent the company’s core values.
Pursuing its goal of enhancing user experience, the agency also gave the company’s website a dazzling makeover, with a special emphasis on superb quality graphics, flexible design, and intuition-based navigation. All this not only made the company shine in terms of aesthetics and visuals but also attracted a large number of customers. According to the figures, the company’s valuation rose to around 25.5 billion dollars and also helped secure a whopping 1.5 billion dollars in funding. This is evidence enough that design agency work can take you anywhere!
Case Study 5: Chobani – A Design-Driven Business Revolution
Chobani was a company that had to tackle a very competitive yogurt market to become a leading company in the business. In 2017, to rise above its competitors and spur growth, Chobani collaborated with Leland Maschmeyer – a design agency that aimed to revise the company’s packaging and virtual presence. The new packaging highlighted the dominant qualities of the brand such as the flavor, the ingredients, and the natural ingredients of Chobani. The relaunch demonstrated Chobani’s dedication to quality, helping it align itself with the rising customer demands for healthier food alternatives.
As a result of this design-driven shift, Chobani’s growth was positively impacted by a 9% rise in sales for the company. This is again, a great demonstration of how design agency work can boost sales and help brands form a close connection with their customers by serving them what they want.
Conclusion:
The case studies mentioned above further emphasize the value of design agency work in assisting businesses to achieve their goals. Creating a captivating virtual identity is a must in today’s technology-driven market, and design firms provide just that, and even more. If you desire to see your brand truly prosper, this is the way!
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